Step 7.3

Armsmaster ducked, one spear parrying Leviathan's arm and the other stabbing up into the Endbringer's side. The second halberd crackled with weird static, and when it slid out of Leviathan it seemed to rake whole chunks of monster stuff away with it. A volley of missiles shattered the ground, avoiding only a tiny space Armsmaster stepped into.

Leviathan turned rapidly grabbing hold of Dragon's suit and ripping it open.

Dragon down.

I ground my teeth together.

Leviathan took Dragon out, but Armsmaster stepped back.

The water echo from Leviathan's tail shot just past him.

For the third time.

It's like he knew exactly how Leviathan intended to move before Leviathan did it.

How is he doing that?

Is it experience? Confidence? Did he make some tech that enhanced his reflexes? Can he stop fucking time too?

Alexandria came in and swept into Leviathan's leg, Legend flew Purity out of the rubble of a building Leviathan swiped her into. Chevalier looked hurt, but he kept going. Crusader lost an arm and still his ghosts surrounded his foe. They all took hits. Alexandria shrugged them off, Chevalier and Crusader seemed to fight through them, and Legend… lasered himself?

It's a weird thing to watch.

Only Armsmaster avoided every blow and kept striking.

I landed at the rally point and dropped Weaver gently on the ground. Two EMT's came forward, which shocked me. There were several teams around the building, tending to the wounded or patching up injuries. Completely normal people.

"Myrddin, I need you!"

I followed the sound of Hero's voice. About eighty capes gathered around him.

Is this all that's left?

No.

I checked the map, seeing markers all over the city still. This is just who managed to make it in a minute and a half. But of the faces I saw, no one seemed particularly encouraged. Many looked determined, like they intended to keep going. Others seemed defeated.

The wizard cape stepped toward Hero, staff in hand.

"We're going to have to get risky," Hero said to the gathered capes. "Armsmaster and the others are buying us time, but time is on Leviathan's side. His waves will keep getting stronger until he washes the city away."

Light flashed, and a gun-thingy appeared in Hero's hand. A pocket dimension like Kid Win used?

Crap.

Shouldn't have thought about Kid Win, because I wondered if he survived. Did the wristbands short out in water? Would be stupid if they did, but the thought crossed my mind. He might be dead for all I knew.

Hero turned the weapon in his hands. It looked like a large cannon of some kind, with a long blue cylinder in the middle that swirled.

Hero's specialty revolved around waves. Not waves of water, but waves of energy. Easy to see how he got to be considered the greatest tinker in the world with such a flexible specialization.

Fundamentally, everything is just a wave.

"We're going to freeze water in the bay and build a breakwater," Hero said. "This is dangerous, but it's the only choice we have right now." The light of the teleporter appeared nearby and Hero turned. "Rime, are you able?"

The athletic woman stepped away from the man in the black costume. She didn't look able. She looked pale and exhausted. She nodded regardless. Dragon reported her as down earlier. She either got back up or they healed her and brought her back.

"Hang in there," Hero said. "We need you." He looked over the crowd of capes. "Sere, you too."

Sere?

I saw him step forward, much more refined in his Protectorate costume. He only controlled water in a small area around him, and only in small amounts. How did that help?

"How is it dangerous?" Someone asked.

"Because the defenders of Kyushu tried it," Hero said, "And Leviathan just lifted the ice with a stronger wave and dropped it on top of them."

Oh.

"But we're going to try it differently," he continued. "We're going to anchor the ice to the land and build it high. Some pieces will probably break off and hit the city, but it's better than letting the waves keep smashing into us."

Hero pointed.

"Stratos, Cinereal, Rebound, Mouse, Reed. You five are taking field command. You're among the most experienced."

I spotted the Brockton heroes in the crowd. I also saw Mouse Protector, with her goofy helmet and knightly attire, standing next to this spindly looking guy. I knew her from the cartoon show. Kind of a joke hero, but one who outright humiliated villains she crossed paths with. Teleportation, enhanced reflexes. One of the inaugural Wards, like Miss Militia.

If she humiliates villains while acting a fool, what can she do when she's serious?

I guessed the guy beside her was Reed? I'd heard that name somewhere before. Another of the Inaugural Wards, but he got famous for something else…

"Get as many capes as you can back in the fight," Hero said. "Panacea is prioritizing the recovery of Strider and Port right now. We're going to get them back on their feet and restore our mobility but we need to hold until then. Hang in there. It's not over yet!"

Hero lifted Myrddin, and Rime stepped forward to lift Sere. They flew off toward the bay, and I turned my head to Stratos and Dauntless. Mostly because I knew them."

"Four teams," Cinereal said. "We'll advance and surround Leviathan."

I quickly realized it wasn't an order as much as a conversation.

"Mobility is a problem," Stratos said. "Especially in downtown."

"Reach is the only teleporter we have left who can take groups," the tall spindly guy said. "He can't move everyone."

"Fliers can carry people," Mouse Protector said. She hoisted her sword in the air and waved it around with a big smile. "We don't have time to debate this, we've got a monster to slay!"

Not sure if I found that encouraging or disturbing.

The battle with Leviathan continued.

Chevalier kept soldiering on even after Leviathan slammed him into the street. Armsmaster struck another blow, slicing into Leviathan's left leg. He kept hitting that leg, actually. Legend fired a blast from behind and Alexandria tackled him.

Leviathan lost balance, tipping over and taking that weird halberd Armsmaster had right in the throat.

Didn't seem to slow him down. Leviathan got right back up and surged forward, slamming into a wall of force as Narwhal stood in his way.

"We need everyone who can to form up," Dauntless said to the gathered crowd. "Everyone!"

A few capes refused to go. I'd have called them cowards before but… Not now. I didn't keep count, but at least fifty or sixty dead? Probably more. Twice as many injured. Leviathan cut our numbers in half in the first few minutes.

How many lay out in the city injured and dying slowly because everyone we'd organized to rescue them got sucked into the river in the opening attack? And since then we'd spent every single move being led around by the nose into waves and attacks. Some of the capes present fought him for years, but Leviathan fought them for years too. He'd been killing capes for years.

Of course, he got good at it.

I felt under-prepared, and I prepared a lot for this fight.

How can anyone be ready for that though? For bodies to be run over buildings like cheese on a grater or for people to be split in two in the blink of an eye. Realizing Leviathan's thinking resembled my own came as a particularly disturbing revelation.

It's one thing to say he's smarter than he appears. It's another to see he's smart enough to fight hundreds of capes and play them all for fools.

It's a pretty depressing thing.

"Ready to go?" Stratos asked.

I turned to him. His smile looked forced.

"Mouse is right," Reed said. "We don't have time to debate this. There's too much at stake. Hundreds of thousands are still inside the city shelters. If it sinks most of them will die."

Hundreds of thousands will die.

That's one way to wake up, I suppose.

"Yes," I said.

I hoisted Stratos at his request, and three others before taking off. Faintly, I saw light out in the bay. Hero's plan to freeze it might not work.

Could Leviathan manipulate ice? It's just frozen water.

"Right there!" Stratos said.

I lowered myself and dropped him on the rooftop. The other three capes climbed off Astraea and we all lined up at the edge watching Leviathan continue to try and break out of the encirclement around him. Reach's light flashed around as he moved slower capes into position, and Mouse Protector led a group right down the road with her sword held high.

Stratos took aim, but not at Leviathan. He turned left and right, checking the rooftops. Dauntless flew overhead with about twenty other fliers, and I got my feet off the ground and joined them.

Veda turned, flying Queen alongside me.

Chevalier crashed into a car – how is he still going – and Alexandria got tossed through a building. Of the eight who started the fight, I only saw Legend, Narwhal, and Armsmaster still in it. Alexandria came back, because of course she did, but she didn't rejoin the fight. Crusader sat on the ground around a street corner, Purity and another cape pressing against his severed shoulder. His ghosts kept moving.

Armsmaster continued fighting, dodging, predicting. Somehow he knew Leviathan would aim for his leg, and he stepped out of it in time and perfectly positioned to strike back. He dodged the tail, parried the water echo, counter-attacked.

It looked mechanical in way. Movements precise but stiff. Something he programed into his armor?

A prediction engine?

"Reed speaking. We're in position, Armsmaster."

Alexandria came back out of the building. She didn't waste any time, simply shouting, "Attack!"

Narwhal dropped her force field and stepped back, Mouse Protector and her line charging.

Mouse zapped into the air and swung her sword into Leviathan's back and then vani-

Attack.

I took aim and fired.

Our numbers might be reduced, but it still looked like an impossible to endure barrage as every cape surrounding Leviathan unleashed on him. Those on the ground stepped back, avoiding the incoming fire and then stepped in again when it paused. I saw Mouse Protector teleport all around, slashing at Leviathan and… Is she laughing?

Veda dove Queen closer. The fangs launched and fired at Leviathan from every angle.

The monster didn't seem to care though.

He weathered the fury, and turned.

On Armsmaster.

Leviathan ignored us.

I mean he literally ignored us.

He charged at Armsmaster, stopping in a flash and letting his water echo cut forward. Somehow Armsmaster found the perfect spot to step through, stabbing his halberds forward to attack. The firing slowed, as the two became entangled.

Alexandria came from behind and hit Leviathan, driving him forward and pushing him into a building. I adjusted aim and kept firing, her dark form wheeling back and going up into the air.

"Shit-Dauntless speaking. Butcher is in G-5!"

I snapped my head around, just in time to see a small explosion and a figure appear in the street. A woman, tall with long black hair and a red costume adorned in bones. She hefted a large mini-gun toward Leviathan. The monster started turning back toward Armsmaster as the barrels began spinning.

The bullets erupted, the ground around Leviathan exploding. The monster moved, wheeling around and dashing through the streets. Mouse Protector's team turned and Legend fired from above.

The Endbringer barreled right through them, going straight at the Butcher.

Liester deceased. Mouse Protector down. Colossus down.

The Butcher vanished in an explosion as Leviathan's claw dug into the street, and reappeared atop a stranded SUV. She continued firing, bullets peppering Leviathans body. Alexandria tackled him, knocking him into the wall.

So even Butcher wants to fight Leviathan? Really is a fucked day.

"Keep firing," Stratos said.

I fired my last GN missile, and kept pulling the triggers for my cannons. I lifted forward, flying to get a better angle with several others. Dust and water and steam splashed around the crater Leviathan left behind, but I didn't see him.

Is he going up through the building again?

No. Leviathan burst out of the building at street level, swinging his tail and batting Alexandria aside. His water echo battered into Narwhal's shield and cracked it, the giant woman clearly straining to cover Mouse Protector's group as they drew closer.

It didn't make sense. There were pieces of Leviathan's arms and legs that almost seemed reduced to near bone.

How is he still fighting like nothing happened?

"Armsmaster speaking. Leviathan is favoring his right side. He may be injured on the left."

I spotted him working his way through the streets, two halberds still in hand.

Mouse Protector's group attacked, two carrying her away to where Reach crouched with a few other injured capes.

Those still fighting dove in and swung at Leviathan with whatever they had. I saw Rebound take a punch, but it didn't seem to affect him much. A cape stepped out from behind him, a metal boy, and he started swinging with two blades that seemed fused into his arms. Narwhal blocked a water echo, and I repositioned to get a clear shot.

Butcher had the same idea.

I panicked for a moment when she exploded into existence on the roof next to me. Her eyes looked my way but only for a moment before aiming the mini-gun down and firing.

I ignored her and kept firing. Queen flew past me, getting closer than some brutes. Veda released the fangs, flipping out of the way of a swipe and directing the weapons to volley Leviathan from all sides.

"Anything?" I asked.

"Upper torso," Veda said. "The variance is only point eight-nine."

Less than a percentage point?

Not good enough, not yet. It might just be random and coincidental. I needed more concrete data.

I shot forward, and over Leviathan. I fired but missed when Leviathan propelled himself forward.

He moves so fast, he could easily hide a weak spot without looking like it.

I spun to a stop and fired. Legend flew past me, his own hands lighting up. Leviathan spun around, ducking under our attacks and sweeping his tail through those fighting him on the street.

"Wave!" Hero called. "Brace!"

I turned, watching as the wall of water raised and then shuttered. The breakwater? I couldn't see it from my position, but it seemed to work. The wave came slower than the last two. Felt like we got time to prepare for it rather than having it sprung on us with sheer speed. The wave shrank past a point, but still came rushing through the streets below.

Those on the ground pulled back, gathering around Narwhal as she raised a shield around them.

I took aim and fired, telling the Haros to watch Leviathan and not lose him.

A dozen others kept up the barrage from our positions above, including Dauntless and Stratos.

The water cascading through the streets, and the buildings began to shake. Leviathan turned into the wave as it approached and dove.

He's fast.

The Haros moved, tracking him from their positions high above. He moved even faster in water than he did standing in flooded streets.

"Newtype," I said. "Leviathan is moving east toward the bay- No he's going south now-"

The water to my right exploded upward, and I turned my head as Leviathan spun in the air. His tail lashed out, and a blade of water shot through the sky.

I raised my shields and projected a GN field around myself. The water slammed into me and knocked Astraea back. I saw blood ahead where someone lost their leg, and the crashing of glass as the water cut through a building.

Leviathan landed on a rooftop, the capes before him turning and firing their powers at him.

I lost sight as I fell, the force of the water echo knocking me back and into the streets. The water washed me down toward Northeastern University, and when the wave subsided I dropped my shield.

Colossus down - didn't he already go down? - Exalt down. Gully down. Harpoon deceased.

"We've lost Leviathan!" Stratos said over the com. "He dove back into the wave!"

"We're not done yet," Hero said. "But it seems to be working. Strider is back on his feet he's on his way to you now!"

Strider.

That's what we needed. Dozens of capes still lay scattered about the city. If we could regroup, we could organize better.

I didn't appreciate the need for mobility when the battle started, but I saw it now. Leviathan moved too quickly. He scattered us with the waves and then tried to pick us off.

We needed teleporters in the fight to move big groups to deny him that advantage.

I checked my surroundings, seeing other capes who got washed out with me. A girl in a ninja outfit, and a woman in a… Rather revealing costume. Plus the metal boy. I'd seen him before. Weld, one of the Boston Wards.

"Revel speaking. I'm hurt, but Butcher's right next to me. Pretty sure she's dead."

I blinked. Butcher died?

The Teeth were almost as bad as the Nine. Certainly, they probably committed more general violence than the Nine did. I felt certain they'd all have kill orders if not for the giant problem named 'the Butcher.'

The current one started as a vigilante I think. Maybe she tried to take Butcher out and didn't appreciate how many already tried. She succeeded only to become the Butcher herself.

The Butcher doesn't die.

Whoever kills Butcher becomes the new Butcher, and even worse they kept the powers of those who came before. I didn't know all of them, we'd gotten up to more than a dozen over the years. Super strength, explosive teleports, and projectile manipulation I think? I didn't memorize all of them, but it was a lot of powers.

Is Leviathan Butcher now?

Like he fucking needed all those damn powers.

"Veda," I said over a private line. "Where is-"

The street to my left exploded, and I turned.

I barely rose the shields in time to be thrown back like a giant pin-ball.

"Leviathan!" I shouted. "E-5!"

I rose into the air and fired. Leviathan turned on the other capes, grabbing the girl in the ninja outfit – Shinobi – and crushing her, and his tail swiped through the woman. Three other capes started shooting. One flew in and lifted a rock from the ground. She hurtled it through the air, but the stone broke against Leviathan's body.

I'd seen Leviathan move fast, but got to be surprised again.

One second he stood about sixty feet away, Astraea speeding backward to gain distance.

The next he grabbed my leg.

I gawked in the moment, jaw hanging loose. Flesh and sinew hung from Leviathan's body. Stakes impaled his shoulders in some places and random bits of metal in others. We'd torn him apart, turned him into a pin cushion.

And it didn't matter in the slightest.

He threw me into the ground, water splashing up as my head went under the water.

Weld ran up, jumping over the tail and swinging his arms into Leviathan's back.

The Endbringer kicked him away and rose its hand toward me as I got back up.

The Fangs dove, Queen slamming into Leviathan's back. I pressed on the pedals and shot backward, right as the sound barrier cracked in front of me and Veda forced Leviathan into the ground. Leviathan's body gave a small jerk, and a massive water echo shot back and threw Queen into the air.

I fired, a familiar suit of armor marching past me on the street.

Armsmaster?

"You're in my way," he said.

I about answered to that when the shadow appeared. I raised my shields, but the GN field didn't form in time. Leviathan's hand swiped at me, ripping the shield on my left arm away. His tail went for Armsmaster but the man dodged and struck down, his special halberd tearing into Leviathan's appendage.

Leviathan swiped his claw at us, Armsmaster dodged under it and stabbed, but the water echo slammed into me. Astraea spun as I fought for balance. Weld and three others moved to surround Leviathan, but Armsmaster waved them off.

"Stay back," he ordered. "Wait for the rest."

Is he trying to die?

I rose into the air and took aim.

Leviathan wheeled around, like eyes in the back of his head said I'd lined up a shot. He put Armsmaster between him and the rest of us, the Protectorate tinker seemingly happy to oblige.

And the other capes around me stood and looked to one another.

Weld, a Ward, an independent hero no older than him, and a villain. No clear leader, and none of them seemed to know how to respond.

Where is everyone else?

Probably gathering with Strider to move as a group.

Which meant the seven or eight of us here needed to live long enough for them to arrive.

Easier if Armsmaster would get out of the damn way.

"Armsmaster!" I called. "Move!"

"Pull back," he shouted as the fight continued. "I will hold Leviathan here until reinforcements arrive."

That's suicide!

He'd managed to do it well enough with seven others helping but that only lasted a few minutes.

By himself it looked completely different.

He didn't cleanly dodge blows. He barely avoided them. He stuck to Leviathan's wounded left side, but the monster didn't seem to mind that much. It didn't even seem to be moving as fast as I'd seen it move…

He's faking it.

"Armsmaster!" I called.

I flew back, waving at the other capes to do the same.

"You can't beat me," Armsmaster said as he continued fighting. "I've studied you." Armsmaster twirled one halberd and slashed it across Leviathan's chest. "I know every move you'll make." He stepped over a low surge of water sent by a quick kick. "You're going to die here, by my-"

Armsmaster stepped aside, like he'd done before.

Unlike before, Leviathan stopped completely and his tail snapped around. I saw red, and Armsmaster's arm left his shoulder.

He looked dumbstruck for a moment.

He's going to die.

His own fault, honestly.

Who tried to fight a damn duel with an Endbringer? He said "stay back" like he wanted us to be safe while he sacrificed himself, but that's not the feeling I got. The look on his face seemed pleased. Glad to be fighting Leviathan on his own. His voice said, "let me fight him." "You're in my way," he said. Did he honestly think he'd win that fight? I wanted Leviathan dead and gone but I didn't delude myself into thinking I'd win a sword fight with the thing!

People called me insane, and I'd never try that at any point in my life.

It's a death sentence.

So, fine. If he wanted to die, let him die…

And how rotten I felt in that fraction of a moment, watching Leviathan's claw going right for Armsmaster's heart.

I am not dying for fucking Armsmaster!

I shot forward and tackled the man. I ejected the empty missile tubes from my left arm, watching as a water echo tore them apart. My shoulder hit the ground and Astraea flipped through the air.

"Idiot!" I shouted.

Not sure if I meant Armsmaster or me. Maybe both.

I saw Leviathan right beside me, arm wheeled back and ready to strike.

The fangs fired, and Veda slashed two beam sabers into the monster's back. Its tail snapped up but she spun Queen out of the way and flew to the side.

I landed on my knees hard, throwing the one armed man off to my right and freeing my hand.

Armsmaster down.

I threw one leg into the flooded street and spun about, barely throwing Astraea to the right and avoiding a wave of cutting water. I tried to rise but Leviathan jumped, forcing me back down as he landed behind me and kicked out another wave. The water slammed into me, knocking the breath from my lungs. I fired the thruster's on Astraea's back to keep balance and fired my weapons.

This was NOT the plan!

I wanted to stay away from Leviathan.

I didn't want to test fate by getting into a melee with miniature Godzilla!

Leviathan shat on that concept.

I tried to pull up and a water echo blocked my escape again. I fired my cannons, sheering off a section of Leviathan's scarred shoulder. When the monster swung for my left side I pulled out a beam saber and blocked it, spinning with the momentum of the blow and firing my thrusters.

He moved too quickly.

I didn't have time to wait for an attack.

I raised the shields on my right and projected a GN field. Water slammed into my side, Astraea's feet sliding back on the street and water kicking up behind me.

I fired, jumping back as Queen flew between Leviathan and Astraea. Veda fired the fangs again and slashed at Leviathan's chest. The monster grabbed her by the leg, but I fired my cannons into his arm. Veda slashed down at the same moment, and Leviathan's arm buckled. Queen slipped free and whirled around behind Leviathan, the Fangs firing another volley before shooting back to Queen for recharge.

Leviathan charged forward. I blocked and slashed, blocked again and fired.

I didn't have time to think of anything but staying alive.

I jumped into the air and fired. Leviathan jumped in the air after me, and I needed to dive to avoid his tail. Veda cut at his left leg, barely avoiding a kick he shot her way.

"His injury is not real," Veda said.

"Newtype speaking," I said between breaths. I fired and dodged, shot to the side to avoid the water echo and fired again. "Leviathan faking injury to left side!"

"Confirmed," Alexandria said. "Hold on. We're teleporting now!"

Oh, now you're coming!

I crashed into a building, cursing as Leviathan turned to stab a hand into me.

Veda dived Queen in front, the claws raking across the suit's chest and spinning it into the air.

I'd be dead if she didn't keep doing that.

I pressed on the pedals and shot into the air, firing down on Leviathan.

My suit jerked back toward the ground.

Can he teleport?

Leviathan swung me around, Astraea's back colliding with the side of the building. Warnings blared across my HUD as the leg armor cracked and snapped, and Leviathan released me to spin through the air and crash into the street.

My head spun and my bones ached. For a moment I feared the monster crushed the part of the leg with my leg in it, but no. He crushed just above the ankle joints and missed my leg entirely.

Unfortunately, when I tried to stand the ankle gave and I collapsed back into two feet of water with a giant monster barreling toward me.

I raised my two remaining shields and projected a GN field from them in the split second of time available.

Leviathan barreled right into me and threw me back into the air. I saw a black form fly past, and a barrage of lights while I bounced inside my suit. Felt a lot like a rag doll when I hit the ground, the air knocked from my lungs and a sharp pain shooting through my chest.

Ribs?

Astraea flipped one last time and landed on the back hard. My suit slid through the street and stopped with a sudden collision into something that hurt a lot.

"Taylor?" Veda asked.

I hit Queen I think. Or rather, Veda dove Queen and caught me.

"Wave incoming!" Hero said over the com. "Breakwater's finished! Good luck!"

Hero down. Myrddin down. Rime down. Sere down.

I never felt the wave.

I tasted blood in my mouth, and it started feeling an awful lot like Ali Al-Saachez came back to beat the crap out of me again.

Newtype down.

Newtype down?

What? Dragon… I'm not…

Think I saw those mirrors again, and the mirrors they reflected.

[Query]

What?

[Designation]

Taylor?

[Designation]

Um, Newtype?

[Willful response]

[Host consciousness confirmed]

[Task complete]

Who are you… And you? And… What are you all doing in my… Where am I?

I inhaled.

Okay. Maybe I blacked out a bit there.

I opened my eyes weakly and groaned. My mouth tasted of iron, but when I prodded the taste with my tongue the blood felt dry. How long did I pass out for? I didn't see anything through my HUD, but still alive? Still felt alive. Actually, my HUD seemed turned off. It didn't show me anything.

"Veda?"

Nothing. Did my com break?

"Green? Newtype speaking?"

Nothing.

The controls didn't respond. I felt water around me, which caused momentary panic. Especially because the emergency release didn't open my suit. A moment later I realized the water didn't rise any higher than my lower torso. Not rising so, not drowning. Drowning in my suit sounded like a pretty shit way to die.

And I got fucked for Armsmaster, of all people.

Curse my heroic spirit.

I whimpered, hand clutching at my side as I reached for the secondary release.

Never leave home without a secondary release.

I pulled on the lever, and Astraea's chest blew open. I inhaled the damp air and felt the salty air on my face. Brockton usually smelled less of wet dog though. No, wait. Boston. Right. Boston. Leviathan. Saved Armsmaster. Got my ass kicked. Wonderful day all around.

I started dragging myself out.

I found myself in the lobby of some building, water all around and every single pierce of glass shattered.

The sounds of battle continued in the distance.

I stood atop my suit, looking down at the cracked armor.

The antennas snapped at some point, so no GN field. Faint traces of green continued to rise into the air, so the GN drive still worked. The crash must have wrecked the internals, and the armor looked unsalvageable. Hard to know the damage with half the suit under murky water in a dark area.

My mask didn't work, unfortunately. A pretty nasty crack ran down half my visor, and when I tried my communicator I didn't get anything.

I pulled my phone from my pocket, wincing as my side stung.

And of course I dropped the phone in the water.

I stared at the churning surface and cursed it.

"Newtype, Newtype!"

Oh thank Haro.

I turned, one hand clutching my side as Green and Red flew toward me. Purple and Orange hung in the air. Didn't notice them at first. My vision was a little blurry actually.

"Veda?" I asked.

"Are you alright?" She asked through Green.

"Yeah." Navy emerged from the water, holding my phone in his hand. I took it and asked, "What happened?"

"You should evacuate. With Astraea disabled you are no longer able to assist. I am still engaged with Leviathan. He will be stopped."

So Veda continued on without me?

Still, I frowned. "That's not what I asked. How long was I out?"

Veda paused for a moment. "Four minutes."

Four whole minutes? "Is another wave coming?"

"Hero succeeded in creating a breakwater of frozen ice," Veda said. "It is holding for now. He, Myrddin, Rime, and Sere were recovered a few moment ago. They will survive."

I remembered that. They went down just before I did.

I glanced at my suit again. Still alive, so yey me. Out of the fight, so nay.

Damn my ribs hurt.

"Broken," Red said. "Broken. Evacuate. Evacuate."

I inhaled deeply.

Pressing my hands to the wristband like Armsmaster showed, I said, "Newtype, um, F-4? My ribs are broken." Probably have a concussion too. "Don't think I can get far on my own."

"Hold position," a-voice-not-Dragon said. "We'll send someone to evacuate you to medical."

"Okay."

I sat down on Astraea, raising my arm when Red told me to and letting him look at me. Not sure he saw anything that changed his opinion but…

Knocked out that easily?

I replayed the scuffle in my mind.

So fast. It seemed fast from above, but when you're right next to him and trying not to be eviscerated he seemed even faster. It took everything in me to maneuver the shields in a way that let me block. To dodge the water echoes. To stay upright. Despite my best efforts the water echo battered me. His claws ripped right into the armor.

And my weapons didn't seem to do any real damage.

Did he really take any damage? He didn't slow down as we hit him. He didn't stop or linger. If he felt pain, he didn't really show it. Armsmaster said Leviathan favored one side, but Veda determined that to be untrue. A deliberate ploy to goad people into attacking his left side? To appear weak so we'd get over confident?

Faking injury? Faking pain?

Completely different from fighting villains.

I'd equipped myself all wrong. I went to maximize speed and defense, but Leviathan laughed at my reflexes. The defense didn't hold. My weapons didn't do enough damage. Thinking back to the fragmented memories in my mind, Leviathan didn't seem to care as his flesh peeled or tore. He kept moving like it didn't matter.

Denser than normal matter. More like armor. Did he even have or need muscles?

I needed something harder… Something that didn't burn all its energy on surface damage. Something-

I turned my head, looking down into the water. I barely made out the two barrels of the GN cannon.

I needed penetrating power. I saw those stakes in him. They seemed to go deep. A physical projectile, did it work better? If I made one big enough, propelled it fast enough…

Colossus down - okay, I know I heard him go down before - Scroll down. Rosary deceased. Valiant down.

I forced myself back to my feet.

"Green. Red. I need the cannon barrels. Just the barrels. Detach the module and get me-"

I turned, watching as a boy in a blue and yellow costume flashed into the room.

"Um, hi?" I said.

"Flash," he said. He pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "I'm here to get you to the hospital. You alright?"

"Broken ribs," I said.

He nodded. "I can teleport as far as I want, long as I've been there before. Can only take one other person with me though. Let's go."

He waded through the water toward me.

I frowned.

I have an idea and Veda is going to be angry.

"No," I said. "I need," – my mind worked, piecing together what I needed – "I need an auto store." I needed batteries, and wiring. The cannon barrels provided the tubes I needed. I'd build it like a bazooka. Maybe two if it worked out. "One where everything isn't waterlogged."

I needed something to throw a twist- No I can just rotate the coils and let the electric pulse spin them. The problem is the ammunition. I need something that can endure Leviathan's body and penetrate deep enough to really hurt him.

I needed superconductors too, and every inch of Astraea contained superconductors. Compressed GN particles, Astraea's pack should still have some compressors filled to capacity.

I'd salvage what I needed from my suit and build the rest on site.

I released my side and pressed down on the wristband.

"Newtype speaking. I need three capes. Two who can enhance physical projectiles, and one who can make or shape metal."